(The phrase, "Tennisons of
Texas" was coined in 1969 by Alfred Tennison, Jr., and used as a registered
trademark by Tennison Brothers of Texarkana, Inc.)

This website is
dedicated to the historical preservation of any and all information related to Joshua Tennison,
his ancestors, his descendants, and his relatives, including the
"Tennison Brothers," other "Tennisons of
Texas," and any other Joshua-Tennison relatives, regardless of where they
may live.

The above image is a detail from
Joshua Tennison's gravestone at the Edwards Cemetery in Mount Pleasant, Texas.
Refer to section below for more images of Joshua Tennison's grave site.

(Photograph by John Tennison,
November 23, 2008)

Please email John Tennison (nonjohn@yahoo.com)
family-related information and photos that you would like posted on this website.

The link above is to a PDF document which outlines a
family tree starting with John Tennis, Sr., (born about 1628 in Holland, and
died 1682-1683, St. Marys, Maryland). On page 4 of this John Tennis, Sr.,
family tree, descent of Joshua Tennison, and some of his descendants can be seen.
(Thank you, Ann, for researching this
connection.)

Joshua Tennison's Descent from
Grandparents Justinian and Mary Tennison of St. Mary's County, Maryland

An Account by Ann Tennis Fraser
(Thank you, Ann, for having researched the connection between the Maryland and
Georgia Tennisons.)

Born about 1785 in
St. Mary’s Maryland, James Tennison was the oldest son of Justinian ‘Jesse’
Tennison and his wife Mary. James had one younger sister, Mary, and three
younger brothers, William, Joseph, and Isaac.

James’ father,
Jesse Tennison, served in the Revolutionary War and died around 1792. His
mother, Mary Tennison, re-married William Richardson, widower and ship’s
captain. They lived in St. Mary’s. The youngest children William, Joseph,
Isaac begin to use the last name Richardson. The oldest children James and Mary
continued to use the last name Tennison.

In 1798 William
Richardson is listed in the Tax List for St. Michael’s Hundred, St. Marys, MD.
Jesse Tennison is not listed. (Source: Schuart, Wanda M., Federal Direct Tax
of 1798, St. Mary’s Co., MD, pp. 169, 202, 211) In 1800 William Richardson
is listed in the Census of St. Mary’s County MD, as follows: 30201-01101-0-10,
showing he now has three young (Tennison) children in his household.

In March 1802
William Loker petitions the court to have James Tennison bound to him until he
arrives to the age of 21 years old, to learn the occupation of a pilot.
Petition granted. (Source: Blackwell, Claude G., “Proceedings of the
Orphan’s Court of St. Mary’s County, Maryland, 1801-1809,” p. 90)
Comments: 1) James must have been around seventeen at the time. 2) William
Richardson’s first wife was the daughter of a William Loker.

William Richardson
died on 16 September 1807 and his will, probated Mar 8, 1808, does not mention
his wife, the former Mary Tennison, indicating that she was probably not living
by this date. The will shows that Mary, William, Joseph and Isaac were born
Tennison and were Wm. Richardson’s stepchildren, using the name Richardson. The
will clearly shows James Tennison to be son of Jesse and Mary Tennison.
Executors: Step-Daughter Mary Richardson and James Tennison. Witnesses: Robert
Dunkinson, Jeremiah Underwood, Matthias Clarke. Nothing further is known of
this family in MD.

Looking again at
Georgia records we see that James Tennison of Georgia named his first son
“Jesse”, b. 1811. The custom of the time was to name the first son after the
paternal grandfather (James named his first son Jesse, Joshua named his first
son James). James’ first daughter Mary would have been likewise named after her
paternal grandmother). In keeping with custom, the third son, James, b. 1815,
was named after the father which suggests that James and Lenny may have had a
second male child born in 1813 who did not live to adulthood. Following custom,
this 2nd child would have been named after the maternal grandfather.

The Georgia
records also no doubt contain clues as to why James located there. It is
probable that he settled in Georgia because family had preceded him in order to
get free land grants. These grants were cause for them to continue moving
westward as free land became available.

Alfred Austin Tennison, Jr.:
Great Great Grandson of Joshua Tennison

As of April 21, 2010,
Alfred Austin Tennison, Jr. (born Oct. 4, 1937) is the oldest living direct male
descendant of Joshua Tennison who bears the "Tennison" name. Genetically
speaking, Alfred Tennison, Jr., is the oldest living male to have directly
inherited Joshua Tennison's Y-Chromosome.

Pictured above is James Booker Tennison &
Josephine Tabb Tennison. James Booker Tennison was the son of Joshua
Tennison.

(This photograph is located in the archives of the Mount
Pleasant, TX, Public library.)

During the period no earlier
than November 24, 1859 (as documented by 1859 Taylor County Superior Court
Records) and no later than July 19, 1860 (as documented by the Titus, County
Texas 1860 Census), Joshua Tennison (born January
8, 1817 in Georgia) migrated from Crawford County, Georgia, with his family, including his
son, James Booker Tennison (born 1846) and daughter Mary E. Tennison (born circa 1851) to Titus County, Texas.
It is not clear whether or not Joshua's wife, Sarah Tennison, made the trip to
Texas or not. Specifically, I have not yet been able to locate a burial
site for Sarah Tennison in Texas.

More Tennisons
and Tennysons Live in Texas

Than Any of the
Other United States

The map above shows the number of
telephone listings in "white pages" for the surname of "Tennison." Most
are in Texas, followed by California and Missouri. Data circa 2009

Although less likely to be
directly descended from Joshua Tennison, the map above shows the number of
telephone listings in "white pages" for the surname of "Tennyson." As with
the "Tennison" spelling, most are in Texas, followed by California, then Georgia
and Florida. Data circa 2009

The only Tennison who I have
found in the 1820 U.S. census for Georgia is "John Tennison." John Tennison is
listed in the 1820 Census in the township of Waynesboro, Burke County, Georgia.
John Tennison is the 14th name listed in the 1820 Census document above. Also,
the first column to the right of the name "John Tennison" above has the number
2, suggesting that there were 2 male children under age 5 in the John Tennison
household in 1820. Yet, there were clearly other Tennisons in Georgia prior to
1820, as James Tennison and Lenny Newsome (Joshua's presumed parents) were
married in Warren, County Georgia on February 13, 1811. Since Joshua was born
in 1817 in Georgia, it is reasonable to assume that Joshua's father might have
been in Georgia at that time, yet I have not found a "James Tennison" in the
1820 Census for Georgia. So it is possible that James and Lenny were outside
the state of Georgia at the time the 1820 census was taken.

The Courthouse in Crawford
County, Georgia

(This photo was taken in 2008 by John Tennison, MD.)

Historical Markers at the
Crawford County Courthouse

The cause of the Texas
Revolution and the folklore associated with patriot Joanna E. Troutman (see
above) probably influenced Joshua Tennison's decision to move to Texas.

As can be seen in lines 21-23
of the 1850 Census form above, Joshua is listed as being 32 years old, and is
described as a "tenant." His other family members listed include his wife,
Sarah, age 22, and his son, J. B., age 3. On line 29 of the form above, a
"Linny Tennison," a 56 year-old female is listed. Linny is shown in the
form above to have real estate valued at $5000.00. Linny is quite possibly
the surviving widow of Joshua's presumed father, James Tennison. Given her
listed age of 56, Linny would
have been born in 1793 or 1794. Linny is listed as having been born in
Georgia. The "Linny" on this form is probably Joshua's mother and is
probably the "Lenny Newsome" who married James Tennison on February 13, 1811, in
Warren County Georgia. If Lenny was Joshua's mother, and if the 1900 census is correct in
indicating that Joshua's father was born in England, it would appear that James
Tennison migrated to the United States from England, where James met Lenny and had
what appear to be at least 4 children: J.D., Jesse, Joshua, and Mary.

1860 Census Showing Joshua's
Family in Titus County, Texas

Joshua Tennison's household
listing starts on line 38 above and continues onto the next page below.
The 1860 Census form above indicates that Joshua was 42 years old.
Joshua's profession is listed as "Farming." His land is valued at
$10,000.00. He is listed as being from "Georgia." On line 39, a
31-year-old "day laborer" by the first name of "Marcus" is listed as living in
Joshua Tennison's household.

Joshua's two children, James
Booker and Mary E. Tennison, are listed on lines 1 and 2 respectively of the
1860 Census form above. Joshua's wife, Sarah, is not listed on this 1860
census form. I am not sure what had happened to Sarah at this time.
Sarah might have died, but if so, I don't know where she is buried.
However, given an adultery charge against Joshua in April 1859, in the Taylor
County, Georgia, Superior Court Records, Sarah might have been still alive in
1860, but separated from Joshua. Although the charge was dismissed by the
court, Joshua Tennison was accused of having committed adultery in the Taylor
County, Georgia, Superior Court Records which read: "The State vs. Mary Ann Whittington & Joshua Tennison Adultery
Case dismissed" on page 401, in the minutes of the October term of this court.

Jesse Tennison & Lucinda
Tennison are Also Listed in the 1860 Census for Titus County, Texas

Jesse and Lucinda ("Lucy" here)
are listed on lines 22 and 23 respectively of this 1860 Census for Titus County,
Texas. Jesse was probably the sibling of Joshua. Jesse married
Lucinda Castleberry in Crawford County, Georgia, on September 29, 1846.
Joshua had married Sarah V. Davis on September 23, 1845. Although Joshua
had 2 children, I am not aware of Jesse and Lucinda having had any children.

1870 Census for Titus County,
Texas

There is a "Mary" who is listed as living with
Joshua Tennison at this time on the 1870 Census form above. Mary's
occupation is listed as "Keeping House." Given her listed age of "38" and
"Alabama" as her place of birth, this "Mary" does not appear to be either
Joshua's sister (who married in Georgia on March 7, 1839) or his daughter (born
circa 1851), both of whom were named "Mary" but were born in Georgia.
Thus, the "Mary" living with Joshua on the 1870 Census form above could possibly
have been the "Mary Ann Whittington" with whom Joshua was charged with
committing adultery in the October, 1859 term of the Superior Court in Taylor
County, Georgia. Moreover, I am not aware of any of Joshua's known
children having had this "Mary" as their mother. I still don't
know what happened to Joshua's wife, Sarah, whom he married on September 23,
1845.

1880 Census for Titus County,
Texas

I don't yet have an 1890 Census
Form Scan.

1900 Census Indicates that
Joshua's Father was Born in England

Line 31 of the 1900 Census
above lists Joshua Tennison's father as having been born in England, and lists
Joshua's mother as having been born in Georgia.

Where Joshua Tennison Lived in
Georgia Before Coming to Texas

According to Edward Benns of Taylor County, Georgia, records
indicate that Joshua purchased lots 14 and 15 of the "Agency Reserve" section of
land above. The "Agency Reserve" previously served as a Creek Indian
Reservation that had been established by George Washington. As can be seen
above, the Agency Reserve was on the western bank of the Flint River.
Joshua's lot 14 had frontage on the Flint River. When Joshua purchased
lots 14 and 15, the Agency Reserve properties were still part of Crawford
County. However, the land west of the Flint River later became part of
Taylor County. In fact, before the Flint River became the current border
between Taylor and Crawford Counties, Crawford County's western border had
extended as far west as the Patsiliga Creek, which can be seen above running
through the word "Panhandle." The location of Joshua's property explains
how he could be listed as living in Crawford County in the 1850 Census, and yet
later, showing up in records for Taylor County, where he served as the
Worshipful Master of the Fickling Lodge in 1853.

Joshua's Property is
Highlighted Below

The Colonel Benjamin Hawkins Bridge Over the
Flint River

(This photo was taken in 2008 by John Tennison, MD.)

The Colonel Benjamin Hawkins Bridge crosses the Flint River
Between Crawford County and Taylor County, Georgia. The photograph above
is looking westward across the bridge from Crawford into Taylor County.
Joshua Tennison's property was up the Flint River from this bridge crossing
(roughly northward), which is to the right when viewing this photograph.

Looking Up the Flint River from the Colonel
Benjamin Hawkins Bridge

(This photo was taken in 2008 by John Tennison, MD.)

Joshua Tennison's property was up the Flint River (roughly
northward) on what would be the left or west shore of the Flint River.

Historical Marker at the Western End (in Crawford
County) of the Colonel Benjamin Hawkins Bridge

(This photo was taken in 2008 by John Tennison, MD.)

Reasoning from Census Data That
Could Prove Useful in Tracing Joshua Tennison's Ancestors

The earliest mention so far
that I have found of Tennisons in Georgia who appear to be Joshua's direct
ancestors is the marriage of James Tennison to Lenny Newsome on February 13,
1811, in Warren County, Georgia. James and Lenny appear to have been
Joshua's parents, and in 1850, Lenny appears to be the surviving widow of James
as documented (and misspelled "Linny Tennison") in the 1850 Crawford County
Georgia, Census. In the 1850 Crawford County census, Lenny (misspelled "Linny")
is listed as being 56 years old, indicated that she was 17 or 18 years old at
the time she married James Tennison.

Prior to 1850, only the names
of "Heads of Families" were listed on the Census. However, the gender and
age range of all people living in each household were listed.

No "Joshua Tennison" shows up
on the 1840 U. S. Census. This fact is consistent with the fact that
Joshua had no known children at that time, and therefore, could have easily not
yet been a "Head of Family," whose name would have been listed in the 1840
census.

Since Joshua would have turned
23 years old in 1840, it is entirely possible that he was still living with his
parents', presumably James and Lenny Tennison.

The only "Heads of Families"
with the last name of Tennison to show up in the 1840 Georgia Census are JD,
Jesse, and John. JD, Jesse, and Joshua are probably all the children of
James and Lenny Tennison. Mary Tennison appears to have been a 4th child
of James and Lenny Tennison.

As was the case in the 1820
Census, the 1840 Census lists "John Tennison" in Burke County, Georgia, which
suggests that this "John Tennison" is the same one who was listed for
Waynesboro, Burke County Georgia in the 1820 Census.

Three males are listed for the
1840 John Tennison Household in Burke County-- one aged between 15 and 20, one
aged between 20 and 30, and one aged between 30 and 40. The only female
listed in the 1840 John Tennison Household is aged between 20 and 30.

The Crawford County Census of
1840 lists a "Jessee Tennison" and a "J. D. Tennison" as heads of two separate
households respectively. However, the 1840 household of Jessee Tennison in
Crawford County only lists one male, aged between 20 and 30, which would
presumably be Jessee himself, rather than possibly being Joshua, who would have
turned 23 in 1840. Moreover, the 1840 household of J. D. Tennison in
Crawford County only lists 2 males, one aged less than 5 years, and the other
aged between 20 and 30 years, suggesting that the older male was J. D. Tennison,
and therefore could not have been Joshua.

The 1830 Census shows only one
Joshua Tennison as head of household anywhere in the United States. This
household was located in Washington, D.C. This Joshua Tennison cannot be
our Joshua Tennison, as only two males are listed for this Joshua Tennison
Household, one aged between 20 and 30, and another aged between 50 and 60.
Since our Joshua Tennison would have turned 13 in 1830, he could not have been
either of the males, or the Joshua who was head of this household.

The only Tennison who is listed
in the 1820 census for Georgia is John Tennison, in Waynesboro, Burke County,
Georgia. Although the columns are not labeled on the census form, it
appears to show what might be 6 people in the John Tennison household -- 3 males
and 3 females. Two of the males appear to be aged under 5 years old.
Therefore one of these young males could have been Joshua. Assuming the
5th column of the 1820 Census designates the same age range as the 5th column of
the 1830 Census, the oldest 3rd male listed appears to be aged between 20 and 30
years old, and presumably would have been John Tennison.

The females listed in the 1820
Census for the John Tennison Household appear to have one fewer columns than the
males (5 as opposed to 6) , suggesting that the age ranges specified by the
females were not as specific as those specified for males. Nonetheless, 3
females are listed -- one in the first column, one in the 3rd, and one in the
4th column. Presumably the one in the 4th column was the wife of John
Tennison.

It would appear that in 1850, Linny Tennison was the surviving widow of
James
Tennison, and that Linny Tennison might have moved from Warren County to Crawford
County, to join her children who might have moved there before her.

If Joshua's claim in the 1900 census is
correct that his father was born in England, and if James Tennison was Joshua's
father, then James Tennison would have left England no later than 1811, at which
time James married Lenny Newsome on February 13, 1811.

Page 370: [This intent to murder appears to be in the April Term because Henry
H. Mangham was listed as the "Foreman" of the Grand Jurors for the April Term of
1859.]
The State vs Joshua Tennison True Bill Assault with intent to murder
H.H. Mangham, Foreman

Page 375:
J.D. Tennison vs Wm H. Montfort
Ordered that certiorari be dismissed and that the judgment of the court be
affirmed and the fi fa proceed against the def't James D. Tennison for this
proceeding.

[There appears to be no description of a terms of months May through September,
1859, so perhaps the court had 2 terms, a spring term and a fall term.]

[This guilty verdict on
page 409 on November 24, 1859, strongly implies that Joshua Tennison was still
in Georgia as of November 24, 1859, as Joshua was found guilty of "assault and
battery" by a jury on November 24, 1859. (William H. Fickling served
as the "foreman" of the jurors who found Joshua guilty.) Regardless,
Joshua's family is clearly documented as being in Titus County Texas by July 9,
1860, as documented by the 1860 Census.]

Evolution of
Georgia Counties Correlated with Events in the Lives of Tennisons in Georgia

Georgia Counties in 1793

In the 1793, the earliest
possible birth year for Lenny Newsome, Warren County Georgia was formed.
Warren County is the location where James Tennison and Lenny Newsome were
married in 1811. Some accounts mistakenly described an 1811 marriage in
Upson County, yet Upson County did not exist at this time, as it was part of the
Native American "Creek Lands" in the map above. Indeed, as can be seen in
the map above, the vast majority of Georgia was still Native American lands at
this time. Warren County is abbreviated "Wrn" in the 1793 map above.

Georgia Counties in 1811

James Tennison and Lenny
Newsome were married on February 13, 1811 in Warren County. Crawford
County and Taylor County did not yet exist, as the land that would later become
these two counties was still part of Creek lands.

Georgia Counties in 1822

Crawford County ("Cra" in the
map above) was formed from Houston County. Crawford County would become
the documented home of Joshua's presumed relatives by no later than the 1840
Census. By 1850, Joshua's family would be documented in the 1850 Census as
living in Crawford County, along with his two presumed brothers, James D.
Tennison and Jesse Tennison, as well as Joshua's presumed widowed mother, Lenny
Tennison. Cherokee and Creek Native Americans continued to be displaced
from their lands.

Georgia Counties in 1824

Upson County ("Up" in the map
above) was formed from Crawford and Pike Counties

Georgia Counties in 1852

Taylor County was derived form
Marion, Talbot, and Macon Counties in 1852.

Georgia Counties in 1858

Books County ("Bro") in the map
above on the southern border of Georgia, was the death place of James D.
Tennison, the presumed older brother of Joshua Tennison. Cherokee and
Creek Native Americans have been completed displaced from their prior lands.

The Earliest Years After Joshua
Moved His Family to Texas

After moving
to Texas,
Joshua first settled his family in the Gray Rock community in western Titus County (spelled
Grey Rock on the 1860 census). This western portion of Titus County was
later split off to form Franklin County. After leaving Gray Rock (now
spelled Grayrock on maps), Joshua Tennison's family settled closer to
Mount Pleasant, Titus County, Texas. Disruptions in Gray Rock during the Civil War and
the railroad's bypassing Gray Rock resulted in Gray Rock becoming a ghost town.
Today, a Grayrock cemetery remains, but no Tennisons appear to be buried there.

Joshua's son, James Booker
Tennison (pictured above), served in the Confederate army during the U.S. Civil
War. In 1891, James Booker's eldest son, James Morgan Tennison, and Henry
Booker "Jack" Tennison (the original "Tennison Brothers" of
sheet metal fame), began to manufacture sheet metal products in a humble metal
shed attached to the back of their hardware store in Mount Pleasant, Texas. This
enterprise was the beginning of sheet metal manufacturing by the two Tennison
brothers.
Although they continued to maintain warehouses in Houston and Dallas, the
Tennison Brothers later moved the headquarters of their business to Texarkana,
Arkansas. The original Tennison Brothers sheet-metal manufacturing
business continues to operate, with branches in Memphis, TN, and in Wichita, KS. Tennison
Memorial Methodist Church in Mount Pleasant, TX, is so named to
memorialize James Booker Tennison and Josephine Tabb Tennison. Tennison Road (in Mount Pleasant, TX) leads from Mount Pleasant to
the Joshua Tennison Farm, purchased by Joshua Tennison after moving his family from
Georgia to the Mount Pleasant, Texas area. Henry Booker Tennison
commissioned architect Joseph Finger to build the Tennison Hotel at 110 Bagby
Street in downtown Houston, TX. The Tennison Hotel opened for business in 1922,
and was among the closest of all hotels to Houston's Grand Central Station. Musician Tody Castillo's song,
"Tennison Hotel," is named after the structure. Although not a direct descendant of the Poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson (note
different spelling), Alfred Austin Tennison, Sr., was named after two of
England's poet laureates: Alfred Lord Tennyson and Alfred Austin.
The "Tennitex: Tennisons of
Texas" registered trademark (filed for by Alfred Austin Tennison, Jr. on
September 8, 1969) was an
intentional hybrid of the names "Tennison" and "Texas."

Oldest Surviving
Descendants of Joshua Tennison: "The 5th Generation"

As of April 21, 2010, Alfred
Austin Tennison, Jr. is the oldest living direct male descendant of Joshua Tennison who
bears the "Tennison" name. As of 2008, Cora Tennison is the oldest
living direct female descendant of Joshua Tennison who bears the "Tennison"
name. Other surviving members of this 5th generation include Robert Grey Eargle, and Pauline Eargle.
Recently deceased is 2-time Grammy winner,
John Eargle.
See family tree below for more details about these and other Tennisons.

(Photo taken at 2007 County Avenue
in Texarkana Arkansas on October 8, 2005.)

Pictured above is the
6-member family of Alfred Austin Tennison, Jr. As of November, 2008,
Alfred Austin Tennison, Jr. is the oldest living direct male descendant of
Joshua Tennison who bears the "Tennison" name. He is at the far right of
the picture above. Sequentially from his right is his wife, Nancy Marilyn
Tennison, and then (in birth order), Alfred Austin (AKA "Trip") Tennison III,
Mary Tennison, John Tilmon Tennison, and Joseph
Gleason Tennison.

James Edward
Tennison with Grandchildren at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Pictured above are (from left to right) James
Edward Tennison with his grandsons Devin Ziesenis, Cody Gagne, and Justin Gagne

Joshua
Tennison was a Founding Officer of the Fickling Masonic Lodge in Taylor, County,
Georgia.

Joshua Tennison was one
of the founding officers of the Fickling Masonic Lodge #129 in 1850, at which
time he served as Senior Warden of the lodge. In 1853, Joshua Tennison
served as worshipful master of this same Fickling Masonic Lodge #129. In 1854,
the document below lists Joshua
Tennison as a Past Master (P.M.) of the Fickling Masonic Lodge, #129, of the town of Butler in Taylor County, Georgia,
because of his having served as Worshipful Master the prior year. Joshua's position of leadership within his Masonic Lodge indicates that Joshua was a man
in whom other men of the Taylor and Crawford County community had confidence.

Above is the current-day home of the Fickling Lodge as of 2008. It
is located in Butler, the county seat of Taylor County, Georgia. When
Joshua Tennison served as Worshipful Master in 1853, the Fickling Lodge was
probably closer to Fickling's Mill, which is also closer to the property that Joshua
owned on the Flint River.

The Plaque Below in the Fickling Lodge Documents
that Joshua Tennison Served as Worshipful Master in 1853.

A Masonic Lodge Record of Joshua
Tennison's Presence in Georgia

(The document above was scanned from page 126 of the
book, "Grand Lodge of Georgia 1854," by Mountain Press
www.mountainpress.com)

The First Tennison Brothers
Factory in Mount Pleasant, Texas

This corrugated sheet metal
factory building was attached to the back of the hardware store established in
1891 in Mount Pleasant, Texas, by James Morgan Tennison. It was here that
sheet metal buckets became the first manufactured and distributed by the
Tennison Brothers. Henry Booker Tennison was the first traveling salesman
for the Tennison Brothers. This image is from Page 2 of the "Tennison
Brothers Catalog #5."

(Image courtesy of the Alfred
Austin "Trip" Tennison, III Collection)

Paperweight: The Young
Tennison Brothers

James Morgan Tennison and Henry
Booker "Jack" Tennison were the original "Tennison Brothers" of Texas.

The Tennison Brothers Clock
Logo design was created after the Tennison Brothers established their factory in
Texarkana. This image is taken from the cover of the1909 pamphlet
published by Tennison Brothers, and titled, "History and Current Events."

(Image courtesy of the Alfred
Austin "Trip" Tennison, III Collection)

Sunday, August 2, 1914 Article
in Four States Press and Texarkana Courier:

"From Small Beginning Business
Grows to Mammoth Proportion"

The image above
is a photo of a photo of this 1914 newspaper article. If anyone has this
original newspaper clipping, please contact John Tennison, M.D., at phone
210-884-0990.

The Tennison Manufacturing
Company Building in Houston

This building was in downtown Houston at 1901 Franklin Street
directly beside Highway 59 and near the current Minute Maid Stadium. It
has been demolished to create a parking lot.

James Morgan Tennison:

Founder of the Tennison
hardware store in 1891

"I don't mind
somebody telling me what to do, so long as I don't have to do it." -- James
Morgan Tennison

James Morgan Tennison was one
of the two original "Tennison Brothers." He is responsible for having
initiated the manufacture of sheet metal products in his Mount Pleasant, Texas,
Hardware store. His younger brother, H. B. Tennison, later joined him at
the hardware store, at which point, the Tennison Brothers company was formed.
(See the more youthful picture of J. M. Tennison in the paperweight above.)

(Image courtesy of the John
Tilmon Tennison Collection)

Article on James Morgan
Tennison from Page 260 of the 1939 Book,

"History of Texarkana and Bowie
and Miller Counties" by Barbara Overton Chandler and J. Ed Howe

(from the John Tennison collection)

The Tennison Brothers Texarkana
Factory in the Early 20th Century

Railroad tracks can be seen in
the foreground and were the major avenue by which materials were transported to
and from the Tennison Brothers Building by steam locomotives. In the
mid-1950s, diesel engines replaced the steam locomotives. The Tennison
Brothers building is located at Broad and Hickory Streets in Texarkana,
Arkansas. A youthful photo of James Morgan Tennison can be seen in the
upper right of this image. This image is from Page 3 of the "Tennison
Brothers Catalog #5."

(Image courtesy of the Alfred
Austin "Trip" Tennison, III Collection)

Tennison Brothers "Giant" Brand
Oil Can Manufactured in Texarkana

This Giant (a registered
trademark) oil can was manufactured in the Tennison Brothers Texarkana factory.
Note that this association of the word "Giant" with oil occurred before the
James Dean film, Giant, which deals with the oil boom in Texas.
(from the collection of John Tennison)

(from the Virginia and Robert Gray
Collection. Virginia Gray is the granddaughter of Bertha Firestone, the sister of
Virginia Mae Tennison, H. B. Tennison's wife.)

H. B. was one of the two
original "Tennison Brothers." Compare this photo of H. B. to the
younger image of H. B. Tennison on the Tennison Brothers Paperweight above.
Although he had joined J. M. Tennison to form the Tennison Brothers company, in
the early 20th Century, H. B. Tennison split off from Tennison Brothers company
to form the Tennison Manufacturing Company in Houston Texas. (See the article
on H. B. below from the 1923 New Encyclopedia of Texas.)

(Photo from the "Men of Texas"
section in the New Encyclopedia of Texas, published 1923)

Factory Building Name Plate
from H. B. Tennison Manufacturing Company

(from the Virginia and Robert Gray
Collection. Virginia Gray is the granddaughter of Bertha Firestone, the sister of
Virginia Mae Tennison, H. B. Tennison's wife.)

Henry Booker "Jack" Tennison
Article from the New Encyclopedia of Texas

Refer to yellow highlighted
area only.

(from Page 630 in the "Men of
Texas" section of the New encyclopedia of Texas, Published 1923)

Houston Chronicle Article at
the Time of H. B. "Jack" Tennison's Death

This article was published on
February 17, 1936. The article states that H. B. was 60 years old at the
time of this article (1936), yet the article mistakenly states his year of birth as 1880.
Instead, H. B. "Jack" Tennison's date of birth was July 3, 1875. Thus, had
he been alive for his birthday on July 3, 1936, he would have turned 61.

The Tennison Memorial United
Methodist Church

In 1915, the Methodist East
Church of Mount Pleasant burned down. A new sanctuary was completed in
1924 with an indebtedness of about $25,000.00. In honor of the memory of
his parents, Henry Booker "Jack" Tennison paid off the debt. At that time,
the church was renamed the "Tennison Memorial United Methodist Church."

Tennison Road in Mount
Pleasant, Texas

Tennison Road at the star above lies on
the southern border of Mount Pleasant, Texas. The road leads from Mount
Pleasant to the Tennison farm, purchased by Joshua Tennison after moving to
Texas.

Alfred Tennison, Sr., at
Reunion of Texarkana's First Boy Scout Troop

Alfred Tennison, Sr., (son of
James Morgan Tennison) can be seen standing in the far right of the photo above
with crossed arms and his signature cigar in mouth. Wilbur Smith, dear
friend to Alfred Tennison, Sr., and also a member of Texarkana's Boy Scout Troop
One, was born on the same day and year as Alfred Tennison, Sr., and also married
a woman named Edith. For this reason, Wilbur's nickname for Alfred was
"Twin." Smith made important contributions to archiving and preserving the
history of Texarkana. This gathering was in the McCartney Hotel in
Texarkana, Texas. The McCartney Hotel was designed by Joseph Finger, the
same architect who designed the Tennison Hotel in Houston, Texas.

Alfred Tennison, Jr.'s "Tennitex:
Tennisons of Texas"
Trademark

The "Tennitex:
Tennisons of Texas" trademark above was created by Alfred Austin Tennison, Jr.,
for Tennison Brothers of Texarkana, Inc. The trademark was first
used in commerce on August 28, 1969. Alfred Austin Tennison, Jr. filed for
its trademark status on September 8, 1969.

(Image from the U. S. Patent
and Trademark Office)

"Tennison Metal Works" -
Article from 2006

"If you
haven't seen this wonderful building, drive east on E. Broad Street and you will
find it in the shadow of the viaduct. It's a real beauty!"
concludes historian Beverly Rowe.

(reproduced with permission
from Beverly Rowe from her 2006 book, "Twice Upon A Time, In Texarkana,
Copyright 2006, page 101-102. This book contains articles that Rowe has
published in the Texarkana Gazette.)

The original street address of the Tennison Brothers
factory building in Texarkana was 921 East Broad Street. However, in the
late 1980s, the city renumbered the street addresses, resulting in the Tennison
Brothers factory building's new address of 821 East Broad Street.
According to Alfred Tennison, Jr., Tennison Brothers stopped soliciting business
on December 31, 1986. However, the corporation was not formally dissolved
until a few years later after the remaining inventory, machinery, and building
itself had been sold.

In corroboration of Beverly Rowe's account, Alfred Tennison, Jr., said there
were a number of shotgun houses occupied by African Americans along Broad Street
before the Tennison Brothers Factory at 921 E. Broad Street was built at that
site.

The Tennison Brothers of
Texarkana Factory in the Late 20th Century

(Image courtesy of the Alfred
Austin "Trip" Tennison, III Collection. Photograph taken in the
1980s.)

(Image courtesy of the Alfred
Austin "Trip" Tennison, III Collection. Photograph taken in the
1980s.)

The Tennison Brothers Factory
Building in Texarkana on October 20, 2008

This photograph was taken standing on top of the Arkansas
Viaduct while looking over Broad Street on October 20, 2008.

This photograph was taken standing on top of the Arkansas
Viaduct while looking westward down Broad Street on October 20, 2008.

This Photograph was taken looking across the railroad tracks
at the Tennison Brothers Building while standing on the Arkansas Viaduct.

This Photograph was taken at the top of the concrete steps
that connect the top of the Arkansas Viaduct to East Broad Street Below.

This photograph was taken from the median of East Broad Street
while underneath the Arkansas Viaduct.

Ariel Satellite Photo of the
Tennison Brothers Factory in Texarkana

The Tennison Brothers Factory
can be seen in the upper right-hand corner of this photograph. The
building is identifiable by the diagonally-running elevated roof that bisects
the factory. This elevated roof was constructed to allow steam locomotives
(and later diesel locomotives) to bring rail-based materials in and out of the
factory.

(Image from John Tennison
collection.)

Flywheels in the Tennison
Brothers Manufacturing Plant in Texarkana

(Image courtesy of the Alfred
Austin "Trip" Tennison, III Collection. Photograph taken in the
1980s.)

Closer View of Flywheels in the
Tennison Brothers Manufacturing Plant in Texarkana

(Image courtesy of the Alfred
Austin "Trip" Tennison, III Collection. Photograph taken in the
1980s.)

Train Tracks in the Tennison
Brothers Manufacturing Plant in Texarkana

(Image courtesy of the Alfred
Austin "Trip" Tennison, III Collection. Photograph taken in the
1980s.)

Panoramic View of the Tennison
Brothers Manufacturing Plant in Texarkana

(Image courtesy of the Alfred
Austin "Trip" Tennison, III Collection. Photograph taken in the
1980s.)

Culvert Pipes in Racks

(Image courtesy of the Alfred
Austin "Trip" Tennison, III Collection. Photograph taken in the
1980s.)

White Truck Driven by Alfred
Tennison, Jr. During Sales Trips Throughout the Western United States

(Image courtesy of the Alfred
Austin "Trip" Tennison, III Collection. Photograph taken in the
1980s.)

The Tennison Hotel at 110 Bagby Street in
Houston, Texas

The photograph above was taken by Bob Bailey and
is currently in the archives of the University of Texas.

(from the Virginia and Robert Gray
Collection. Virginia Gray is the granddaughter of Bertha Firestone, the sister of
Virginia Mae Tennison, H. B. Tennison's wife.)

H. B. Tennison commissioned Houston Architect, Joseph
Finger, to build the 110-Room Tennison Hotel. The hotel opened for
business in 1922. Notice the green "Tennison" flag flying below the
American flag at the top of the hotel. The rail-based streetcar seen above
ran directly by the hotel. Southern Pacific's Grand Central Station was
directly across the street, where Houston's main U. S. Post Office now stands.

(The postcard above was published in the 1920s.)

The Hotel as of March 19, 2005

(Photo taken by John Tilmon Tennison on March 19, 2005)

A Detail from the Tennison Hotel

(Photo taken by John Tilmon Tennison on March 19, 2005)

View Down Bagby Street & Houston Skyline from the Tennison
Hotel

(Photo taken by John Tilmon Tennison on March 19, 2005)

The Tennison Hotel (lower left) & Houston Skyline from Other
Side of Freeway

(Photo taken by John Tilmon Tennison on March 19, 2005)

One of Two Billboards on the Tennison Hotel

(Photo taken by John Tilmon Tennison on March 19, 2005)

Timeline of Tennison Brothers Business Ventures

Tennison Brothers, Inc. Memphis Factory Building
in 2008

The original Tennison Brothers, Inc. continues in
business, with its headquarters in Memphis, TN, and with a branch in Wichita,
KS.

The H. B. Tennison Home at 427 Lovett Blvd.

The caption at the upper left-hand corner of the
architectural sketch above indicates that, like the Tennison Hotel, the H. B. Tennison home at 427 Lovett Blvd.
was designed by celebrated Houston architect, Joseph Finger. H. B.
Tennison's funeral services were held at this residence at the time of his death
at age 60 in 1936.

(from the Virginia and Robert Gray
Collection. Virginia Gray is the granddaughter of Bertha Firestone, the sister of
Virginia Mae Tennison, H. B. Tennison's wife.)

Current-day Photo of 427 Lovett Blvd.

The H. B. Tennison home
is in the heart of Houston's Montrose District. It is
currently occupied by L'Alliance Française de Houston, Inc.

(Photo taken by John Tilmon Tennison on March 19, 2005)

Obituary From
Gospel Messenger Sheds Light on Death of James D. Tennison, the Presumed Older
Brother of Joshua Tennison

Elder John Richard Respess was
a Minister and the publisher of The Gospel Messenger in Butler, Georgia form
1879 to January 1896.

The October 1883 Gospel
Messenger Contained the Following Obituary Notice:

Elder James D. Tennison dies at his home in Brooks County, Ga. Born April 5,
1815, died June 6, 1883. He joined the Primitive Baptist Church in Crawford
County Georgia and was baptized by Elder John Bassett. Jan. 8, 1838 he
married Zinno Horton in Crawford County, Ga. and they had 10 children, 2 sons
and 3 daughters survive him. Pelham Georgia. Elder William
Hollingsworth.

Any surviving descendents of this
James D. Tennison could prove extremely helpful in confirming whether or not
James D. Tennison was Joshua's brother, and in determining whether or not the
elder James Tennison and Lenny Tennison were the parents of James D. Tennison
and Joshua Tennison.

(Family Tree last updated
5-15-2011. If you have information or corrections to make it more complete or
accurate, please contact John Tennison, M.D. at 210-884-0990. Although all
information listed in the family tree above is publicly-available information,
some family members have nonetheless requested that their personal information
or that of their minor children not be listed. In such cases where such requests
have occurred, the anonymous words "Male" or "Female" have been used, followed
by a number so that each anonymous name will be a unique placeholder within the
structure of the family tree. If your name appears in the family tree
below and you would prefer that it not be displayed, please call John Tennison
at 210-884-0990 or email him at nonjohn@yahoo.com
)

Joshua's
Grandparents

Joshua Tennison's grandparents appear to
have been Justinian "Jesse" Tennison and Mary Tennison, both of whom lived in
St. Mary's, Maryland. Justinian "Jesse" Tennison served in the American
Revolutionary War, and died around 1792. The oldest child of Justinian and
Mary Tennison was James Tennison, who was born about 1875 in St. Mary's
Maryland. James Tennison had one younger sister, Mary, and three younger
brothers: William, Joseph, and Isaac.

Joshua's
Parents

Joshua Tennison's parents were probably
James and Lenny Tennison. Lenny's maiden name was Lenny Newsome. James
Tennison appears to have been born about 1875 in St. Mary's Maryland.
James and Lenny were married on February 13, 1811, in
Warren County, Georgia. Lenny Tennison is listed as being the sole
member of her household at age 56 in the 1850 Census for Crawford, County,
Georgia. Lenny had presumably become a widow as of the 1850 Census.
(Joshua appears to have had at least three siblings: James D. Tennison,
Mary, and Jesse.)

1st
Generation (Relative to Joshua Tennison)

Jesse Tennison (born 1811)
(married Lucinda Castleberry on September 29, 1846, in Crawford County, Georgia)
Lucinda later shows up as "Lucy" in the 1860 Census of Titus County, Texas.
That is, Jesse, like Joshua, also moved to Titus, County, Texas from Crawford,
County, Georgia and is listed in the 1860 Census for Titus County.

James D. Tennison (born April 15, 1815,
died June 6, 1883 in Brooks County, Georgia)
(James married Simmasinno (AKA "Zinno") Horton, January 8, 1838, in Crawford
County, Georgia.)

Mary J. Tennison
(married Joseph Branham on March 7, 1839)

Joshua Tennison (born January 8, 1817,
Georgia (possibly in Warren County, where his presumed parents were married); He died at 88 years old in Mount Pleasant, Texas, August 25, 1905)
(Joshua married Sarah V. Davis on Sept. 23, 1845.
Sarah does not show up on the 1860 census, so if anyone knows what happened to
her, I would love to hear from them at 210-884-0990.)

2nd
Generation

Children of James D. Tennison: The
Gospel Messenger obituary from 1883 says that James had 10 children, of which 2 sons and 3 daughters
survived him at the time of James's death on June 6, 1883.

Children of Rosa Belle Tennison:
They exist, but information is being collected

Georgia Tennison: no known
children

5th
Generation

Children of Mary Tennison:
She was married, but had no children.

Children of James Daniel Tennison, Sr.:
He had four children with his first wife, Jimmie Tennison (maiden name unknown
at this time). They are: James Daniel Tennison, Jr. (married Martha Elizabeth Anderson.)
[Martha Elizabeth Anderson was a descendant of
John Adams (2nd
U.S. President) and
John Quincy
Adams (6th U.S. President). Her parents were Edward Gaines
Anderson & Nina Adams Anderson.], Jack Craig Tennison, Henry Booker Tennison (the 2nd "H.
B. Tennison"), Alys Jo Tennison (married name
Daniel). (James Daniel Tennison, Sr., divorced Jimmie, his
first wife, and then married Irma Barnes. The new couple moved from
Texarkana to Memphis.) James Daniel Tennison, Sr., and Irma
Tennison (maiden name Barnes) had one child: Carol Tennison.

Children of Maurine Tennison
(married
Tom Keeler):
Cora Tennison &
James
M. Tennison(Both Cora and James changed their
last name from Schwarz back to Tennison when their parents divorced.)

Children of Alfred Austin
Tennison, Sr.: Billy (William?) Tennison (Billy, who was
the son of Alfred Tennison Sr.'s first wife (Lillian Bishop). Billy died in childhood
from bleeding complications after a tonsilectomy.), Alfred Austin Tennison, Jr.
(son of Alfred Tennison, Sr.'s second wife, Harriet Edith Dorsey)
(born October 4, 1937)
(Married Nancy Marilyn Tilmon) (born February 20, 1939)

Children of Josephine Tennison:
Robert Grey Eargle, Pauline Eargle, &
John Eargle
(died in 2007)

Children of Henry Booker ("H. B.")
Tennison: None.
(Before taking his own life while in college, he wrote a suicide note claiming
to be Texarkana's "Phantom Killer,"
a serial killer who made national headlines after striking in 1946.
Authorities did not believe the claims of Booker's suicide note to be true. The movie, "The Town That Dreaded Sundown,"
is based on the 1946 Texarkana killings.)
Note: This "Henry Booker Tennison" who committed suicide was not the same person
as the older Henry Booker "Jack" Tennison who married Virginia Firestone and who
lived in Houston, Texas.

Children of Pamela Daniel Rodgers:
Jason Rodgers (born December 31, 1964), Gail Rodgers (born December 16, 1985) (became Gail Young) (married Danny Young
(born April 10, 1963)),
Lei Lani Rodgers (born February 8, 1974)

(Joshua
Tennison gravestone photos by John Tennison, November 23, 2008.)

The gravestone reads:

Joshua Tennison

Born

In Georgia

Jan. 8, 1817

DIED

Aug. 25, 1905

Gravestone Of
Joshua Tennison Detail

Notice the eroded letters at the
top of Joshua Tennison's gravestone. It is not clear to me what they say.
However, to my eyes, it looks like an "A" and an "S," with this "S" being at the
lower end of the bird dropping on the top of the gravestone. The word(s)
printed at the top of the gravestone could have been "Past Master," since Joshua
had been the Worshipful Master of his Masonic Lodge in Georgia. In fact,
it looks like there might have been and "E" and "R" in the end of the same line
that contains what looks like an "A" and an "S." If so, the "E" and the
"R" could have been the last two letters of the word, "Master."
If anyone has any ideas about deciphering these eroded
letters, please call John Tennison at 210-884-0990.

Gravestone Of
Joshua Tennison Detail

Gravestone Of
Joshua Tennison Detail

Gravestone Of
Joshua Tennison Detail

The surname "TENNISON" is printed in
all-capital letters at the base of Joshua Tennison's gravestone.

Gravestone Of
Joshua Tennison Detail

Above is a detail of the upper-most portion
of the Joshua gravestone where the unreadable letters are located. It is
not clear to me what they say. However, to my eyes, it looks like there is
an "A" and an "S," with this "S" being at the lower end of the bird dropping on
the top of the gravestone. The word(s) printed at the top of the
gravestone could have been "Past Master," since Joshua had been the Worshipful
Master of his Masonic Lodge in Georgia. In fact, it looks like there might
have been and "E" and "R" in the end of the same line that contains what looks
like an "A" and an "S." If so, the "E" and the "R" could have been the
last two letters of the word, "Master." If anyone
has any ideas about deciphering these eroded letters, please call John Tennison
at 210-884-0990.

Joshua Tennison is buried in
Area 12 among at the Edwards Cemetery in Mount Pleasant, Texas. His
gravestone is among the Lewellen gravestones at Edwards Cemetery, apparently due
to the fact that, during his old age, Joshua had been living with his daughter's
family - that of Mary E. and Alfred Lewellen. Edwards Cemetery can be seen in
the middle of the bottom edge of the map above. James Booker Tennison and
Josephine Tabb Tennison are buried at the Masonic Cemetery in Mount Pleasant,
Texas. The Masonic Cemetery can be seen in the center of the top half of
the map above.

Union Hill
Cemetery

Osa Adner Tennison (born 1871,
Mount Pleasant, Texas, died September 24, 1876, Mount Pleasant, Texas) is buried
in the Union Hill Cemetery, which is east of downtown Mt. Pleasant not far from
where the western end of Tennison Road meets road 2348. Union Hill
Cemetery can be seen in the upper right hand portion of the map above.
Tennison Road is the unlabelled road that runs roughly east-west in the middle
of the map above.

Map Showing
Location of Hillcrest
Cemetery at Texarkana, Texas

Hillcrest Cemetery can be seen
in the middle of the lower edge of the image above.

Map Detail of
Hillcrest Cemetery

There is a Tennison plot and a
Dorsey-Tennison plot at the Hillcrest Cemetery. James Morgan Tennison is
buried in the Tennison plot at Hillcrest Cemetery. Alfred Austin Tennison,
Sr., and his wife, Harriet Edith Dorsey Tennison, are buried in the
Dorsey-Tennison plot at Hillcrest Cemetery.

(If you are a
descendant of Joshua Tennison and have
pets that you would like included in this list, please contact John Tennison,
M.D. at phone: 210-884-0990.)

For any inquiries
regarding this web page, please contact me at the following email or telephone
number. Also, if anyone knows of any existing photographs of Joshua
Tennison, please let me know. Also, if you are a descendent of Joshua
Tennison, I would love to display your family photos on this website.
Also, if you are a descendant of Joshua Tennison,
please contact me so that I may include you in the family tree that I am
constructing (A.K.A. "The Joshua Tree"). You may email me at
tennison@texaspsychiatry.net
or phone me at 210-884-0990 -- John Tennison, M.D., Tennison historian,
and Great Great Great
Grandson of Joshua Tennison.

Thanks to Ann
Tennis Fraser and Terri Crook for their valuable
assistance in researching Tennison family history.